I’ve been lax about posting recordings from past performances, so here are some to catch us all up. And if that’s not enough, be sure to check out the newly renovated Events page for upcoming events and some media from old ones.

Lastly, I’m very excited to have written a new score to D. W. Griffith’s 1912 silent film, The Female of the Species. Come check out the Balboa Theater on Nov. 12 to see it performed lived with the film.

I had an absolute blast with Transient Canvas in town this past week. They did a killer job on my new work for them, and it was a privilege to get to hear them play Andy Vores, Marti Epstein, Brenna Noonan, and Adam Roberts. All fantastic pieces, not to mention plenty of merriment with TC while they were in town before and after the show. I will be sure to post a recording once one becomes available.

I am currently putting the finishing touches on a new work for the Elevate Ensemble, which will be featured on the opening concert of their season next month. Entitled B:R:X (pronounced brix), it is a three way homage to Beethoven, Ravel, and Xenakis.

And I am super excited for I Sing Words: The Poetry Project, which will feature my new song cycle for Jill Morgan Brenner, Frames. Using the poetry of Julia Lans Nowak, it is easily the largest amount of vocal music I have written so far and I can’t wait to hear it.

“It’s weird how I’m constantly surprised by the passage of time when it’s literally the most predictable thing in the universe.” ~Randall Munroe

There’s a really profound compositional thought in there somewhere.

Anyway, it is well into July and I have no idea how that happened. I find myself in New Mexico for the second time in a month for a brief period of time. Unfortunately much too brief to make the quick trip up to Santa Fe from Albuquerque to catch my friend Dan Bates at the opera there. But not so quick that a sight seeing trip or two can’t make its way in.

The Private Works of Puncher & Wattmann will be premiered by Transient Canvas at the Center for New Music on August 15th, and hopefully will be heard in the Boston area a bit as well. The program for the concert at the Center includes works by Andy Vores, Brenna Noonan,David Coll, and Adam Roberts. TC will then make it back into town to be featured on a GCG event later on. Very exciting.

A couple of upcoming projects with feature very low sounds, something I am looking forward to investigating.

Time just seems to flow by, and all of a sudden it has been far too long since I have updated this space. My goal is to be better about that for a while to come. Hold me to it.

This year I am honored to be playing at the Garden of Memory at Chapel of the Chimes on the summer solstice. I will be playing in a quartet with three other fantastic musicians, and there will be ton of other amazing performers around in the space. This is definitely one of the not-to-be-missed annual music events in the Bay Area. If that’s not enough to get you to come, all I’m going to add is the phrase “detuned harmonicas”.

I am finishing up a new piece for Transient Canvas, who I have to say, have one of the best names of any music group, ever. I had known Amy and Matt from my time in Boston, and we met up again after they performed at the New Music Gathering. I am very excited to reconnect and work with them. They are phenomenal performers and have already made their mark in Boston. Plus Matt shares my enthusiasm for a good cigar. Stay tuned for more details to come on that front.

I am nearly finished on the song cycle Frames for the soprano Jill Morgan Brenner. As part of her poetry project she commissioned three other composers to write sets for her on contemporary poetry. I’ve gotten a peek at some of the other works, and I can say that the whole thing is going to be killer. Mark your calendars, the premier will happen on Sept. 12 at the Center for New Music.

Prodigal Opera Productions had its initial outing and was a huge success. Next up will be a workshop of a new libretto with multiple composers taking part. Because actual libretto writing is important and needs more attention, period. All of this is a part of its Overture season which is helping gear up for its first full season next year.

Meerenai Shim just came on as a curator for the Center for New Music. One of the awesome projects she is bringing in is a New Music Open Mic Night. That is happening next week, and I will be playing a new work for piano and fixed media.

Starting at the beginning of this year, I came on board as one of the hosts for Music from Other Minds. It has been a blast curating shows and I look forward to continuing to host at least a show a month.

I’ve put up a Bandcamp page for some of my electronic and ambient works, as promised. This will surely grow over the course of the year, but for now feel free to check out this collaboration I did earlier this year with the tenor Matt Habib, setting a John Keats poem.

And lastly, I’ve been on the twitters more. So tweet at me. @JMColombo